World Meteorological Day: Mark the history, and future of weather

It is an exciting day for us at Weather & Radar, today we mark World Meteorological Day!

Each year on March 23rd meteorologists and weather enthusiasts gather to review the state of the industry and celebrate successes. This year’s event also commemorates 150 years since the International Meteorological Organisation was founded.

The name may not sound familiar, but this was the world’s first organisation created for the sharing of weather information between countries and led to the formation of the World Meteorological Organisation on March 23rd 1950.

The day also highlights the services of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in their contribution to the safety and well-being of societies.

Meteorology is derived from the Greek word meteoron from 340 BC by Aristotle. Back then, meteorology referred to any phenomenon in the sky including shooting stars.

Today, the world of meteorology includes the scientific study of the atmosphere with a major focus on the weather and climate.

Within meteorology, scientists, researchers, and meteorologists all aim to understand the physical and chemical nature of the atmosphere and its complex interactions with the Earth.

Meteorologists collect and analyse atmosphere data to determine our short and long term weather trends and forecasts. We also use the data to see how the climate has changed from the past and how it could change in the future.

This year, the theme for World Meteorological Day is "The future of weather, climate and water across generations”. A date to consider the wider impact of the weather and climate on our daily lives, and those of our descendants in years to come.